Hospital work conditions, clinician burnout, and staff turnover costs

The Financial Impact of Burnout and Mental Health on Hospitalist Turnover and the Contribution of Work Structures and Environment

NIH-funded research University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11180042

This project looks at how hospital work conditions and job stress affect hospital-based doctors' and advanced practice providers' mental health, burnout, and the costs when they leave.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Colorado Denver NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11180042 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's view, researchers will collect information directly from hospital doctors and advanced practice providers about workloads, stress, and mental health. They will combine surveys and interviews with hospital staffing and financial records to estimate how burnout leads to staff leaving and what that costs hospitals. The team will examine how scheduling, staffing models, and the work environment contribute to stress. The aim is to identify changes hospitals can make to keep experienced staff and protect patient care.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are hospitalists—physicians and advanced practice providers who primarily care for hospitalized patients—working at U.S. hospitals.

Not a fit: Patients who receive only outpatient care or are not cared for by hospital-based clinicians may see little direct benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help hospitals reduce staff turnover and improve patient safety and continuity of care by identifying better work structures.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown high burnout and links to turnover among physicians (mainly in outpatient settings), but focused evidence on hospitalists' mental health and the exact hospital costs is limited.

Where this research is happening

Aurora, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.